Selma to Montgomery March
Selma to Montgomery March
This article is provided courtesy of History.com
Inearly1965,MartinLutherKingJr.’sSouthernChristianLeadershipConference(SCLC)made
Selma,Alabama,thefocusofitseffortstoregisterblackvotersintheSouth.ThatMarch,
protestersattemptingtomarchfromSelmatothestatecapitalofMontgomeryweremetwith
violentresistancebystateandlocalauthorities.Astheworldwatched,theprotesters(under
theprotectionoffederalizedNationalGuardtroops)finallyachievedtheirgoal,walking
aroundtheclockforthreedaystoreachMontgomery.Thehistoricmarch,andKing’s
participationinit,greatlyhelpedraiseawarenessofthedifficultyfacedbyblackvotersinthe
South,andtheneedforaVotingRightsAct,passedlaterthatyear.
VOTERREGISTRATIONEFFORTSINSELMA
EvenaftertheCivilRightsActof1964forbadediscriminationinvotingonthebasisofrace,
effortsbycivilrightsorganizationssuchastheSouthernChristianLeadershipCouncil(SCLC)and
theStudentNonviolentCoordinatingCommittee(SNCC)toregisterblackvotersmetwithfierce
resistanceinsouthernstatessuchasAlabama.Inearly1965,MartinLutherKingJr.andSCLC
decidedtomakeSelma,locatedinDallasCounty,Alabama,thefocusofavoterregistration
campaign.AlabamaGovernorGeorgeWallacewasanotoriousopponentofdesegregation,and
thelocalcountysheriffinDallasCountyhadledasteadfastoppositiontoblackvoter
registrationdrives.Asaresult,only2percentofSelma’seligibleblackvoters(300outof15,000)
hadmanagedtoregister.
DIDYOUKNOW?
RalphBunche,whoparticipatedintheSelmatoMontgomeryMarchwithMartinLutherKing
Jr.,wontheNobelPeacePrizein1950forhissuccessfulnegotiationofanArabͲIsraelitrucein
Palestineayearearlier.
KinghadwontheNobelPeacePrizein1964,andhishigherprofilewouldhelpdraw
internationalattentiontoSelmaduringtheeventfulmonthsthatfollowed.OnFebruary18,
whitesegregationistsattackedagroupofpeacefuldemonstratorsinthenearbytownof
Marion.Intheensuingchaos,anAlabamastatetrooperfatallyshotJimmieLeeJackson,a
youngAfricanͲAmericandemonstrator.InresponsetoJackson’sdeath,KingandtheSCLC
plannedamassiveprotestmarchfromSelmatothestatecapitolofMontgomery,54miles
away.Agroupof600peoplesetoutonSunday,March7,butdidn’tgetfarbeforeAlabama
statetrooperswieldingwhips,nightsticksandteargasrushedthegroupattheEdmundPettis
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Article: Copyright © 2010 History.com. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Selma to Montgomery March
BridgeandbeatthembacktoSelma.Thebrutalscenewascapturedontelevision,enraging
manyAmericansanddrawingcivilrightsandreligiousleadersofallfaithstoSelmainprotest.
AHISTORICMARCH
KinghimselfledanotherattemptonMarch9,butturnedthemarchersaroundwhenstate
troopersagainblockedtheroad.Thatnight,agroupofsegregationistsbeatanotherprotester,
theyoungwhiteministerJamesReeb,todeath.Alabamastateofficials(ledbyWalllace)tried
topreventthemarchfromgoingforward,butaU.S.districtcourtjudgeorderedthemto
permitit.PresidentLyndonJohnsonalsobackedthemarchers,goingonnationaltelevisionto
pledgehissupportandlobbyforpassageofnewvotingrightslegislationhewasintroducingin
Congress.Some2,000peoplesetoutfromSelmaonMarch21,protectedbyU.S.Armytroops
andAlabamaNationalGuardforcesthatJohnsonhadorderedunderfederalcontrol.After
walkingsome12hoursadayandsleepinginfieldsalongtheway,theyreachedMontgomery
onMarch25.
Nearly50,000supporters–blackandwhite–metthemarchersinMontgomery,wherethey
gatheredinfrontofthestatecapitoltohearKingandotherspeakersincludingRalphBunche
(winnerofthe1950NobelPeacePrize)addressthecrowd.“Notideofracismcanstopus,”
Kingproclaimedfromthebuilding’ssteps,asviewersfromaroundtheworldwatchedthe
historicmomentontelevision.
LASTINGIMPACT
OnMarch17,1965,evenastheSelmaͲtoͲMontgomerymarchersfoughtfortherighttocarry
outtheirprotest,PresidentLyndonJohnsonaddressedajointsessionofCongress,callingfor
federalvotingrightslegislationtoprotectAfricanAmericansfrombarriersthatprevented
themfromvoting.ThatAugust,CongresspassedtheVotingRightsAct,whichguaranteedthe
righttovote(firstawardedbythe15thAmendment)toallAfricanAmericans.Specifically,the
actbannedliteracytestsasarequirementforvoting,mandatedfederaloversightofvoter
registrationinareaswheretestshadpreviouslybeenused,andgavetheU.S.attorneygeneral
thedutyofchallengingtheuseofpolltaxesforstateandlocalelections.
AlongwiththeCivilRightsAct,theVotingRightsActwasoneofthemostexpansivepiecesof
civilrightslegislationinAmericanhistory.Itseffectsgreatlyreducedthedisparitybetween
blackandwhitevotersintheU.S.andallowedagreaternumberofAfricanAmericanstoenter
politicallifeatthelocal,stateandnationallevel.
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Article: Copyright © 2010 History.com. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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